Updated · Originally published
It all depends on how you define "Social CRM". Paul Greenburg, the “godfather of CRM” once wrote that Social CRM is “The Company’s response to the customer’s control of the conversation”. Twitter, Facebook, and other social forums illustrate the power of a customer’s voice, where opinions and feedback are there for everyone to see. This aspect of Social CRM helps companies listen, understand, and respond to external customer needs.
However, external communities represent just one aspect of the Social CRM landscape.
In our opinion, it’s the internal communication within a company that defines how agilely and effectively they can collaborate and deliver on customer demand. This is where Social CRM + CRM technology breaks down the barriers of communication and illustrates the power of your company’s voice.
Enterprise collaboration is where internal communities empower your people to find, research, share, and collaborate. This aspect of Social CRM, when integrated with a company’s CRM technology solution, will streamline internal efficiencies that will ultimately result in a better customer experience.
Social CRM Add-ons for Microsoft Dynamics CRM are offered through a couple of Microsoft partners and can be found on the new . Here are two that impressed us with their enterprise collaboration capabilities:
Pulse by Neudesic:
– CRM 2011 Solution
– Hosted ($6/user/month) or On-premise ($16/user/year)
– Neudesic installation
– Status updates, following/followers, hashtags, follow accounts
– Advanced find allows you to follow system updates
– Integrate with non-CRM systems as well
– Questions feature
Vibe by Sonoma:
– CRM 2011 Solution
– Free on the Dynamics Marketplace, for-fee version with Sonoma professional services
– Status updates, following/followers, hashtags
– Workflow allows you to follow system updates (i.e., won opportunities)
My guess is that we will see a lot more Social CRM add-on options become available for Microsoft Dynamics CRM over the next year or so. Integrated enterprise collaboration is so important to a company’s overall CRM strategy. It helps organizations work smarter, resolve issues more efficiently, and collaborate on new ways to proactively meet customers' needs.
ForgeXRM + Microsoft
develops innovative solutions that drive productivity and empower businesses to achieve more with the and .
With our deep specialization, industry-leading CRM solutions for and , and Add-Ons for and our configurable , we accelerate innovation and empower businesses to maximize their CRM investments.
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By Ryan Plourde, ForgeXRM,
